Adiala Jail prisoners challenge IHC decision in FCC

Adiala Jail prisoners challenge IHC decision in FCC seeking health facilities like PTI's founder ISLAMABAD: Three prisoners of Adiala Jail seeking health facilities like the PTI's founder have challenged the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision in the federal constitutional court (FCC). The IHC had rejected pleas of the prisoners' seeking treatment at private hospitals and permission to communicate with family members. The prisoners have pleaded to the constitutional court to declare the Islamabad High Court's decision as void. Petitioners said that the Article 25 of the constitution ensure unanimous treatment with all citizens. Three prisoners pleading to the court for providing the health facilities available to the PTI's founder citing the order of the Supreme Court. 'The apex court had ordered transfer of the PTI's founder to Shifa International hospital on August 18'. They pleaded for the court's order for their medical treatment at Shifa hospital. They also pleaded for the court's order for permission to talk with their family members in overseas on WhatsApp, as allowed to the PTI's founder. Justice Muhammad Asif of the high court had heard separate petitions filed by prisoners Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail and Awais Altaf. The high court in view of the Supreme Court's decision dismissed the prisoner's plea to communicate with family members abroad. The court released its written verdict on petitions with regard to facilities to prisoners. The court stated that the imprisonment means legal curbs on freedom, 'Every technical facility could not be declared as fundamental right. An inmate has no legal right to be shifted to a private hospital of choice,' according to the verdict. 'The treatment of a prisoner is the basic responsibility of the state and the administrative structure of government hospitals,' court observed. 'The jail rules provide a mechanism for shifting of a prisoner to an outside hospital, if required', court said. 'If a government hospital could not provide treatment than the authorities could consider private facility on the recommendation of a medical board,' according to the court. The court directed the jail administration to provide all medical facilities to prisoners as per the law.